Method and apparatus for linking a document with associated reference information using pattern matching
First Claim
1. An apparatus for linking a document with reference information associated therewith comprising:
- means for receiving an electronic graphical representation of a document image, said document having a portion to be linked to electronic reference information, wherein said portion is designated by a predetermined attribute of the received document image;
means for electronically scanning and performing pattern matching on the electronic graphical representation of the document image to locate said predetermined attribute of the document image;
means for identifying the linked portion of the document based on the location of said predetermined attribute;
means for acquiring the electronic reference information associated with the linked portion;
means for correlating the linked portion of the document with the associated electronic reference information; and
means for providing a pointer from the linked portion in the document to each piece of electronic reference information associated therewith.
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Abstract
The present invention comprises an apparatus for linking a document with reference information associated therewith comprising a device for receiving an electronic representation of a document image, the document having a portion to be linked to electronic reference information, wherein the portion is designated by a predetermined attribute of the received document image; a device for electronically scanning the electronic representation of the document image to locate said predetermined attribute of the document image; a device for identifying the linked portion of the document based on the location of the predetermined attribute; a device for acquiring the electronic reference information associated with the linked portion; a device for correlating the linked portion of the document with the associated electronic reference information; and a device for providing a pointer from the linked portion in the document to each piece of electronic reference information associated therewith.
In one embodiment of the invention, the received document image may be transmitted using standard facsimile protocols and the electronic reference information may be acquired as audio information transmitted using standard voice channel telephony.
313 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for linking a document with reference information associated therewith comprising:
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means for receiving an electronic graphical representation of a document image, said document having a portion to be linked to electronic reference information, wherein said portion is designated by a predetermined attribute of the received document image; means for electronically scanning and performing pattern matching on the electronic graphical representation of the document image to locate said predetermined attribute of the document image; means for identifying the linked portion of the document based on the location of said predetermined attribute; means for acquiring the electronic reference information associated with the linked portion; means for correlating the linked portion of the document with the associated electronic reference information; and means for providing a pointer from the linked portion in the document to each piece of electronic reference information associated therewith. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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11. A method for linking a document with reference information associated therewith comprising:
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receiving an electronic graphical representation of a document image, said document having a portion to be linked to electronic reference information, wherein said portion is designated by a predetermined attribute of the received document image; electronically scanning and performing pattern matching on the electronic graphical representation of the document image to locate said predetermined attribute of the document image; identifying the linked portion of the document based on the location of said predetermined attribute; acquiring the electronic reference information associated with the linked portion; correlating the linked portion of the document with the associated electronic reference information; and providing a pointer from the linked portion in the document to each piece of electronic reference information associated therewith. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. An apparatus for linking a document with associated reference information comprising:
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means for receiving, in a first telecommunications session, an electronic graphical representation of a document image, said document having a portion to be linked with electronic reference information, wherein said portion is designated by markers added to the document image; means for acquiring, in a second telecommunications session, electronic reference information associated with the linked portion of the document; means for electronically scanning and performing pattern matching on the electronic graphical representation of the document image to determine the locations of the markers added to the document image; means for identifying the linked portion in response to the locations of the markers; means for correlating each linked portion of the document with the associated reference information; means for providing a pointer from the linked portion of the document to each piece of electronic reference information associated therewith. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification